Course Descriptions

Political Science

POLS 444-01 Deception and Politics (3)

The relationship between politicians, the press, and the public seems to be in a constant state of mutually reinforced suspicion. This lack of trust and its relevance to democratic politics is far from a modern day dilemma. The first half of this course explores the role of deception in politics through the lens of Plato, Rousseau, and Machiavelli. All of whom wrestled with the morality and inevitably of deception, politics, and democratic accountability. The second half of the course uses contemporary research on misinformation and examples from the 2016 and 2018 elections to identify the effects of deception, from wherever the source, on democratic politics. Note: course will be canceled if there are fewer than six (6) paid students enrolled as of Monday, June 10.